1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system for controllably routing power and/or communications through a network of interconnected members of a piping structure or a metal structure using individually controllable switches and induction chokes. In one aspect, it relates to a petroleum production well and a method of operating the well to provide a controllable downhole switching network for routing power and/or communications to downhole devices.
2. Description of Related Art
Several methods have been devised to place controllable valves and other devices and sensors downhole on a tubing string in a well, but all such known devices typically use an electrical cable along the tubing string to power and communicate with the devices and sensors. It is undesirable and in practice difficult to use a cable along the tubing string either integral with the tubing string or spaced in the annulus between the tubing and the casing because of the number of failure mechanisms are present in such a system. Other methods of communicating within a borehole are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,493,288; 5,576,703; 5,574,374; 5,467,083; and 5,130,706.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,070,608 describes a surface controlled gas lift valve for use in oil wells. Methods of actuating the valve include electro-hydraulic, hydraulic, and pneumo-hydraulic. Sensors relay the position of the variable orifice and critical fluid pressures to a panel on the surface. However, when describing how electricity is provided to the downhole sensors and valves, the means of getting the electric power/signal to the valves/sensors is described as an electrical conduit that connects between the valve/sensor downhole and a control panel at the surface. U.S. Pat. No. 6,070,608 does not specifically describe or show the current path from the device downhole to the surface. The electrical conduit is shown in the figures as a standard electrical conduit, i.e., an extended pipe with individual wires protected therein, such that the pipe provides physical protection and the wires therein provide the current path. But such standard electrical conduits can be difficult to route at great depths, around turns for deviated wells, along multiple branches for a well having multiple lateral branches, and/or in parallel with coil production tubing. Hence, there is a need for a system and method of providing power and communications signals to downhole devices without the need for a separate electrical conduit filled with wires and strung along side of production tubing.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,839,644 describes a method and system for wireless two-way communications in a cased borehole having a tubing string. However, this system describes a downhole toroid antenna for coupling electromagnetic energy in a waveguide TEM mode using the annulus between the casing and the tubing. This toroid antenna uses an electromagnetic wave coupling that requires a substantially nonconductive fluid (such as refined, heavy oil) in the annulus between the casing and the tubing as a transmission medium, as well as a toroidal cavity and wellhead insulators. Therefore, the method and system described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,839,644 is expensive, has problems with brine leakage into the casing, and is difficult to use for downhole two-way communication. Thus, a need exists for a better system and method of providing power and communications signals to downhole devices without the need for a nonconductive fluid to be present in the annulus between the casing and tubing.
Other downhole communication concepts, such as mud pulse telemetry (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,648,471 and 5,887,657), have shown successful communication at low data rates but are of limited usefulness as a communication scheme where high data rates are required or it is undesirable to have complex, mud pulse telemetry equipment downhole. Still other downhole communication methods have been attempted, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,467,083; 4,739,325; 4,578,675; 5,883,516; and 4,468,665. Hence, there is a need for a system and method of providing power and communications signals to downhole devices at higher data rates and with available power to operate a downhole device.
It would, therefore, be a significant advance in the operation of petroleum wells if tubing, casing, liners, and/or other conductors installed in wells could be used for the communication and power conductors to control and operate devices and sensors downhole in a petroleum well.
Induction chokes have been used in connection with sensitive instrumentation to protect against surges and stray voltage. For example, most personal computers have some sort of choke incorporated into its AC power cord for such protection. Such protection chokes work well for their intended purpose, but do not operate to define a power or communication circuit.
All references cited herein are incorporated by reference to the maximum extent allowable by law. To the extent a reference may not be fully incorporated herein, it is incorporated by reference for background purposes, and indicative of the knowledge of one of ordinary skill in the art.